


Something Stolen

by Fandom_Trash_15



Series: RoyEd OTPoly [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist (Anime 2003), Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Light Angst, M/M, non-established relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:26:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25411588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash_15/pseuds/Fandom_Trash_15
Summary: Ed's locket is missing, and Roy is going to help him find it.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Series: RoyEd OTPoly [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1840501
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20
Collections: RoyEd OTPoly 2020





	Something Stolen

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the RoyEd OTPoly game.  
> Space: Rush Valley, Thieves Guild.  
> Prompt level: Hotel  
> Someone stole an important item. Due to circumstances Roy and Ed have to work together to get it back. The stolen item has to do with their shared past. Not established relationship. Wc: 1893-2645

It’s been a month since Roy and Edward reconnected after five years of unintended no contact. Roy is on his way to meet up with Ed for lunch as they usually do on Thursdays. He walks past the quad, pausing for a minute to see if Ed was waiting there for him, as he was wont to do every now and then. When he doesn’t spot Ed’s distinct golden hair, Roy just shrugs and starts making his way to their usual cafe.

The little bell rings as Roy walks in, immediately catching sight of Edward. Roy frowns at how agitated he looks as Ed basically empties his bag on to the table he’s at. He decides to skip the line for now and go see what’s wrong with his friend.

“Is everything alright Edward?” he asks, coming to a stop next to him. Edward doesn’t even look up from frantically shifting through his things.

“No! I can’t find it!” he snaps. Roy raises an eyebrow. Edward hasn’t snapped at him in quite some time, so whatever he’s missing must be important.

“What did you lose? A notebook or some homework? I’m sure you could talk to your teacher about getting an extra copy.” Ed snorts in derision, stopping his search, but doesn’t look at Roy. He’s quiet for a moment.

“No. It’s my locket,” he finally says softly. Roy blinks before his mind comes up with the proper memory. The locket that Roy had given Edward for Christmas, the last time he saw him. Roy’s breath catches a little, but he sets his own bag down on a chair at the table and places a hand on Ed’s shoulder.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll find it. Take a breath and relax for a minute,” Roy says, squeezing his shoulder. Edward does as told, relaxing his shoulders as he breathes, finally looking up at Roy. Roy doesn’t like that it looks like he’s about to cry. “Good. Now try to think where the last place you took it off was?” Ed closes his eyes and leans against the table.

“I was wearing it in the lab, tucked under my shirt. Russel saw the chain above my shirt collar and got anal about me taking it off and putting it away. We were arguing about it, which got Kimblee’s attention and he sided with Russel. I took it off and put it in my bag. It should still be in there, seeing as I came here straight after class,” Ed explains.

“Could it have fallen out sometime between the Science building and here?” Ed shakes his head.

“No, this is a new bag, nothing has happened to it yet for there to be holes.” Roy hums as he thinks. He sighs before speaking up again

“There were plenty of people in your class that witnessed you fighting with your lab partner, and some of them probably watched you taking your locket off. And all personal belongings are kept in a separate room, in case of accidents,” Roy states. Ed looks back up at him sharply.

“You think someone  _ stole _ it out of my bag?” he demands.

“With the process of elimination as it is, it’s the only logical conclusion,” Roy insists. Edward groans and drops into the chair next to him.

“But that leaves pretty much the whole class as suspect. Russell was a piece of shit and made me do all the clean up of our station. I was one of the last people out,” Ed complains.

“Well, let’s get your things all cleared up and back into your bag, and then we can go to the police. It’s the best we can do for now. If nothing comes of it, I’ll be happy to get you a new one,” Roy tells him. Ed looks at his friend, a little gobsmacked.

“That’s really not necessary,” Ed protests. “That first one was probably really expensive; you said that it was real silver! And besides, how would you afford a new one, being a broke college student, too?” Roy just waves him off as he stacks the textbooks and folders and notebooks. Ed huffs and starts putting his things back into his bag. The duo finish up and leave the cafe, headed straight for the nearest police station.

The police were little help. The receptionist made them sit and wait for at least half an hour longer than was necessary. The officer that they were finally able to speak to hardly listened to a word Ed said, which nearly made him lose his temper. It was only Roy’s hand on his shoulder, and the knowledge that attacking a police officer would land him in jail, that prevented Ed from going off on him. In the end, the friends left the station two hours after entering, frustrated and with little hope that they’ll actually do their job.

They go back to the cafe, dejected and more than a little angry about the whole situation. The rest of the evening is dedicated to focusing on the good parts of the day, and working through some of their homework. Roy gives Ed a tight hug before they separate at the quad. Ed allows the hug to go on for a few minutes before tapping out and they head back to their accommodations for the night.

The next few days pass both slowly and in a blur. Everyday Roy calls Ed to inquire about any updates from the police. Ed informs him that they haven’t gotten a hold of him at all. On the day of Ed’s Chemistry lecture, Ed tells him none of the suspected classmates seemed shifty or like they were trying to avoid him. Which really doesn’t mean much when at least half of them didn’t interact with Ed normally anyways. By the end of the week, Edward is going half insane with the mixture of desperation, anger, and the niggling suspicion that he’s never going to get his locket back. The sensation grows with every day that passes and he doesn’t hear anything from the police.

Two weeks after the theft, and it’s actually Roy that finds the locket. When he walks into the lecture hall, he hears a student in the class he TA’s for bragging to her group of friends about how her boyfriend gave her a locket for their anniversary the other day. She laments about neither of them being able to open it, though. The bell rings before anyone can offer their sympathy or assistance. Roy is ninety-five percent sure that it’s Ed’s locket after catching a good glimpse of it resting on the girl’s clavicle, just above anywhere inappropriate for him to be staring. At the end of class, she’s one of the last to turn in the last week's assignment, so he casually starts conversation with her as the rest of the students leave.

“So Sadie, I couldn’t help but over-hear about your anniversary. Congratulations. How long have you been with your partner?” he begins.

“A few years now. And I just knew this year was going to be special; Deric had been squirmy for a few weeks. I almost suspected a different piece of jewelry, to be honest,” Sadie babbles, flushed with happiness and excitement and clutching at the ovular pendant hanging from her neck. Roy smiles and laughs lightly, though he suspects that this Deric had been acting shifty for an entirely different reason.

“I have to say, it is a lovely piece,” he flatters. “I recall you said you couldn’t get it open, before. Would you like me to give it a go?” Sadie beams and carefully takes it off, handing the locket to him. He smiles at her before inspecting the jewel. It looks as he remembers it when gifting it to his friend, though obviously more worn than it had been. Slowly, he retrieves his pocket knife and pauses with a glance at her. Sadie nods and he carefully uses the knife to pry open the locket, and he sighs in exasperation and relief.

“Is something wrong, Roy?” she asks after a minute of him not giving the locket back. He finally brings his gaze up from the picture to meet her growing glare.

“I thought I’d seen a locket similar to this one before. A good friend of mine actually lost his a few weeks ago. I was hoping this wasn’t it, but it is,” he explains. Sadie just gets prissy.

“That’s not possible! Deric said he got it in a pawn shop!” she exclaims.

“I’m afraid he lied to you. The picture is proof enough, as I am one of the subjects,” he says softly, turning it so she can see. And sure enough, the picture that is nestled in the jewel is of Roy, his Aunt Chris and cousin Veronica, Edward, Alphonse, and Trisha Elric; taken just before Roy left for college. Sadie studies the photo and slumps, tears coming to her eyes.

“I can’t believe him. I just can’t,” she whispers.

“I do apologize, really, but I have to return this to my friend. It was the last gift his mother got him before she passed, so you have to imagine how distraught he’s been,” he tells her, though his white lie about the locket’s origins was solely to guilt her into agreeing to let him keep it with him. Sadie lets her tears fall, but nods.

“I understand...I have to go. I’ll see you next week, Roy,” she says and makes her exit. Roy sighs and looks back at the photo, swallowing his own tears. He still misses Trisha sometimes. With a sigh, he gathers up all the papers he’s got to grade before next week and texts Ed to meet him at their cafe.

Thirty minutes later, the little bell rings as Roy enters their favored establishment. Edward is already there, at a table with drinks, fidgeting as he waits for him. Ed perks up slightly when he sees Roy walking over. It’s still obvious that he’s distressed, but Roy has a smile on his face.

“Good afternoon, Edward,” he greets cheerfully.

“Hey Roy. Not that I mind, but we usually don’t meet until Thursdays. It’s Tuesday. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”

“I figured you’d want your property back as soon as possible,” he answers, leaning against the table and taking the locket out of his pocket, showing it to Ed. His breath catches as he stares at it.

“How- _ where _ did you find it?” Ed finally asks, looking up at Roy with shining eyes. Roy finally sits, and hands the locket to Ed, who takes it almost reverently.

“A student was bragging about how her boyfriend had gotten her a locket for their anniversary, and mentioned that neither of them were able to open it. After class I started a conversation and offered to help get it open. I was almost certain it was your the moment I saw it; the photo only confirmed it,” Roy tells him. Ed takes a steadying breath.

“So whose ass do I need to kick over this?”

“I think Sadie has that covered for you. She was quite upset when she found out her anniversary gift was someone else's property,” he answers with a smirk. Ed just huffs and holds the locket back out to Roy.

“Help me put it on?” Roy takes the jewel and unfastens the clasp. Edward turns away and Roy refastens it around his neck, pulling the braid out when he’s finished. Ed turns back to him and practically flings himself at Roy for a hug. “I can’t thank you enough,” he murmurs into the embrace.

“Then don’t,” he tells him. Ed just tightens his arms and turns his head to his cheek, stunning Roy. Ed seems to come to his senses after he feels Roy stiffen. Ed’s face is red as he rushes to gather his things.

“Thanks again for finding it! I gotta go, my shift starts in half an hour and I still gotta get changed! I’ll see you later Roy,” he word vomits as he rushes out the door. Roy is still caught up on the kiss, thoughts and memories rushing through his mind, and it all boils down to  _ Ed likes me!? _ And going over some throw away thoughts he’s had about Ed in the past, regarding his looks and intelligence, and how not even one week ago he was discretely admiring how attractive he’s gotten, Roy can’t help but come to the conclusion that he may actually have a crush on his childhood best friend.  _ Well, shit. _


End file.
